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Climate Defenders Australia

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Climate Defenders Australia

The first dedicated legal service established to protect, empower and advance the rights of climate and environmental defenders in Australia.

Our team combines legal expertise with our own lived experience of climate action and nature protection advocacy.

18/08/2026

Benedict shares his thanks to Climate Defenders Australia and Rising Tide for their hard work in getting all charges against those arrested at the 2024 blockade.

Catching up? Earlier this month we successfully had all charges dropped for 110 climate defenders who participated in the 2024 Rising Tide protest at Newcastle Harbour.

It’s been two years since they were arrested. Two years of wondering if they’ll be convicted, go to gaol or be fined. Two years wondering if they might lose their jobs or their business for what they did. Two years waiting for justice.

Behind every case is a person like Benedict. We’re so glad we could give him peace of mind and (hopefully) a good night sleep.

Repost from Rising Tide Central Victoria

13/08/2026

📢 WA is proposing new laws that would restrict the right to protest

These laws could affect how people are able to speak up on issues that matter to them — from environmental protection to broader community advocacy.

Our lawyer Trish Kashyap is joining panellists from the Australian Democracy Network and Conservation Council of WA to unpack what these laws could mean, and what can be done about them.

🗓️ Mon 17 Aug, 6PM AWST / 8PM AEST
🔗 Link to register in bio

07/08/2026

🎉 WIN: NSW Police drop charges against 110 climate defenders! 🎉

Today NSW Police officially dropped all remaining charges against 110 climate defenders. The charges were laid after hundreds of people entered the water at Newcastle Harbour as part of the historic 2024 Rising Tide protest.

Newcastle Harbour is the site of the world’s largest coal port, and protestors took to the water in kayaks and canoes to protest the port’s contribution to climate change. More than 130 people were arrested as part of a mass arrest, with almost all of them charged with the same offences.

WHAT HAPPENED?

We took on the defence of 117 arrestees. Another group of arrestees formed a test case run by another lawyer, which successfully saw the anti-protest charges dismissed. The NSW prosecution ordered to pay $73,000 in legal costs.

On the back of that test group’s success, we pushed NSW Police to drop all remaining charges against our clients.

Today, NSW Police formally withdrew all charges during a hearing at Newcastle Local Court.

“Police should have withdrawn these charges long ago, once it was clear they could not make out the cases against them. More than 100 people have spent almost 2 years waiting for justice”, says Julia Grix, the Executive Director of Climate Defenders Australia.

Over 100 prosecutions remain ongoing in relation to a 2025 blockade of Newcastle Coal Port, which was also organised by Rising Tide.

05/08/2026

We couldn’t do what we do without our team of passionate lawyers and all-round good humans. Today we’re introducing you to Josh Pallas, one of CDA’s Legal Directors.

Josh has been a practicing lawyer for almost a decade and has worked at the Supreme Court of New South Wales, the NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office and private law firms. As well as working directly on his own files, Josh leads the legal practice and supervises the work of other lawyers at Climate Defenders Australia.

Outside of work, Josh serves on the management committee of the New South Wales Council of Civil Liberties (of which he has also been a former President and Vice President) and has previously served on the board of the University of Sydney Law School. Josh holds a PhD in criminal law from the University of Sydney and has been recognised as a Law and Justice Foundation Fellow and in the “Best Lawyers in Australia” guide for his expertise in human rights law.

Why is it important for us to defending the defenders?

“Protest is an essential part of our democratic system of government, and climate change is the greatest human rights challenge of our time.”

What do you enjoy most about working at Climate Defenders Australia?

“I‘m proud to support people on the frontlines defending our climate and environment in the face of inaction every day. I also love working with the lawyers in our team to encourage them to be brave and think creatively about how they can defend our clients in the courts and otherwise.”

What do you do outside of work?

“When I’m not working, you can often find me travelling, reading, swimming or walking – often in search of new food places.

In earnest, I’m still trying to publish academic articles too.”

23/07/2026

WIN: Woodside’s bid to force our clients to hand over information has been dismissed. 🎉

Back in December 2023, Woodside filed a civil case against three climate defenders following a protest at its Perth HQ — seeking to force them to hand over documents naming anyone else involved, and compel them to appear as witnesses, despite a full police investigation having been done years earlier. We represented two of the three, Emil Davey and Joana Partyka.

The WA Supreme Court has today ruled against Woodside’s application. This win is important for social movements across the country. It is a warning to powerful actors that they should take care when commencing civil proceedings against defenders who have already been punished in the criminal jurisdiction.

22/07/2026

THE WOODSIDE CASE: What’s happening and why it matters

In June 2023, three climate campaigners —Emil Davey and Joana Partyka (our clients)— protested at Woodside Energy’s Perth headquarters over the company’s gas expansion at Scott Reef and its impact on Burrup Peninsula cultural heritage.

Kristen Morrissey, another activist with separate lawyers, released gas in the building’s lobby. Around 2,000 staff were evacuated.

All three defenders were charged and pleaded guilty to creating a false belief, with one facing an additional charge.

In July 2025, they were sentenced — ranging from a community-based order to suspended prison terms. The criminal case is complete.

Back in December 2023, Woodside filed a civil case against the same three defenders for “preliminary discovery” to find out more information about who else was involved in the incident.

Woodside said it was doing this because it wants to recover financial losses it says was caused by the protest.

The civil case was paused while criminal proceedings were underway.

Now, Woodside is pushing ahead to force the defenders to hand over documents identifying anyone else involved in planning the protest.

We’re representing two of the three defendants, Emil Davey and Joana Partyka, in the ongoing civil case.

We’re supporting Emil and Jo through a drawn-out discovery fight designed to chill public participation and wear people down.

The case was heard in the WA Supreme Court last week and judgement has been reserved.

We’ll keep you updated as it progresses.

02/07/2026

🎉 It’s our birthday! 🎉

One year ago, we opened our doors with a simple belief: people who take a stand for the climate shouldn’t have to stand alone in court.

12 months on, the numbers tell a story we’re proud of:
⚖️ 399 cases�🏆 100% success rate on appeal�💰 $5.7M in total potential fines faced by our clients�💅 0 clients have served prison time�🧳 We’ve grown our team from two to nine nationally, providing legal advice in every state and territory.

But the bigger picture is sobering. Australia now arrests climate protesters at more than three times the global average rate. As the crackdown intensifies, so does our resolve.

Thanks to all our donors, clients and supporters who have joined us on the journey so far.

Learn more at climatedefenders.org.au

If you can support our work, the link is in bio. 🌏

05/06/2026

This World Environment Day we are grateful for the defenders who stand up to protect the natural environment. We are proud to stand with you ✊🌏

27/05/2026

On World Environment Day (June 5) our Executive Director, Julia will be joining a lunchtime online gathering with some brilliant people doing climate work across Australia. If that sounds like your kind of thing, come along – we’d love to have you. Link in bio to register! 🌏🌳

Address

Level 3 Salesforce Tower, 180 George Street
Sydney, NSW
2000

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

(02)80444870

Website

http://www.climatedefenders.org.au/

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